Principles of Learning
Often I come across information pertinent to Kenpo in my outside reading. One article in an investment newsletter was particularly humorous. It stated the following: 95% of our students questions can be answered with the following responses:1. No.
2. Ask your training partner (my paraphrase adapted for Kenpo)
3. What do you think?
4. Drink more water
5. What does that tell you about yourself?
The other 5% of the questions will require conscious thought.
Would that teaching was that easy. This prompted me to explore the "basics" of teaching and how they relate to various principles of learning. In its simplest form, learning is a change in behaviors as a result of experience. Instructors must create a didactic environment where experiences can be structured to create desired behavioral changes. Additionally, we must develop in the student the motivation to change his/her behavior. Having defined the primary considerations of attitude and environment we can now define some Principles of Learning/Teaching.
A person will learn most effectively when they are enthusiastic and willing. How do we create this state of readiness for learning? A useful tool for comparison is the color code system.The student must not only be aware (yellow) but in a heightened state of Awareness where he/she can take action on what is new and different (orange). Again, the question, how do we create this attitude of awareness? As teachers we must be more than technically proficient. First, we must be enthusiastic ourselves. If you are teaching a hammering inward block for the "umpteenth" time, you cannot allow for boredom or distractions. Instead, take a cue from the student's point of view. This represents a new experience, an exciting first step toward a lifetime of learning Kenpo. If the first principle of learning is readiness and enthusiasm, it is also the first principle of teaching.
As ready and willing teachers, we must make our presentation vivid and dramatic. A dynamic approach allows the student to trigger an altered state of consciousness (attention state) and a heightened state of receptivity. We have all experienced watching a movie when we "lose ourselves" in the action. We can make our presentations more moving and vivid by using active speech and dramatic demonstrations to heighten student involvement.
We must structure the learning environment to allow our students to "walk before they run". Whether our classes move from a more general concept to a specific movement or from an embryonic basic to a more sophisticated application, we must maintain a logical structure - a "method to our madness". This idea of incremental learning, whether from the specific to the general or vice versa helps the student to structure information so that it is easily remembered, A most effective teaching method is to "chunk" information both under a general heading and in a logical order. This allows the student more immediate access to the information. Likewise, that which is more recently learned is more easily remembered long term by having a topic heading or Point of Reference to "file" it under.
We then repeat various exercises which reinforce what has been learned. What is most often repeated is most easily remembered. It is important to understand that anything that is consistently repeated will be remembered. I cannot overemphasize the importance of reinforcing the behaviors you desire. Do not spend your valuable time and effort with extraneous information. If we follow a rational and enthusiastic approach to learning, our classes will be more effective as well as fun.
This article was originally published in the Kenpo2000 newsleter.
By: Lawson